wn and
returned with various bottles. Senora Morena cooked a fine supper. In
the meantime, I, as apparently the only responsible member of the party,
unsaddled the animals, and brought their burdens into the cabin.
Although McNally's statement as to the loads consisting exclusively of
gold was somewhat of an exaggeration, nevertheless the _cantinas_
were very heavy. Not knowing what else to do with them, I thrust them
under Yank's bunk.

The evening was lively, I will confess it, and under the influence of it
my caution became hazy. Finally, when I at last made my way back to my
own camp, I found myself vastly surprised to discover Yank hobbling
along by my side. I don't know why he came with me, and I do not think
he knew either. Probably force of habit. At any rate, we left the other
four to sleep where they would. I remember we had some difficulty in
finding places to lie.

The sun was high when we awoke. We were not feeling very fresh, to say
the least; and we took some little time to get straightened around. Then
we went down to the Morena cabin.

I am not going to dwell on what we found there. All four of its inmates
had been killed with buckshot, and the place ransacked from end to end.
Apparently the first volley had killed our former partners and Senora
Morena as they lay. Morena had staggered to his feet and halfway across
the room.

The excitement caused by this frightful crime was intense. Every man
quit work. A great crowd assembled. Morton as sheriff was very busy, and
loud threats were uttered by his satellites as to the apprehension of
the murderers. The temper of the crowd, however, was sullen. No man
dared trust his neighbour, and yet every honest breast swelled with
impotent indignation at this wholesale and unprovoked massacre. No clue
was possible. Everybody remembered, of course, how broadcast and
publicly the fact of the gold had been scattered. Nobody dared utter his
suspicions, if he had any.

The victims were buried by a large concourse, that eddied and hesitated
and muttered long after the graves had been filled in. Vaguely it was
felt that the condition of affairs was intolerable; but no one knew how
it was to be remedied. Nothing definite could be proved against any one,
and yet I believe that every honest man knew to a moral certainty at
least the captains and instigators of the various outrages. A leader
could have raised an avenging mob--provided he could have survived the
necessar